Filing philatelic envelopes and the like



Nov. 4, 1941. A, C, SH RT 2,261,528

FILING PHILATELIC ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE Filed April 5, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 4, 1941. A. c. 8mm 2,261,528

FILING PHILATELIC ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE Filed April 3, 1941 2Sheets-sheet 2 i; Show",

Patented Nov. 4, 1941 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILINGPHILATELlfiifiELOPES AND THE Arthur 0. Short, Jackson, Miss. ApplicationApril 3, 1941, Serial No. 886,716

7 Claims.

The invention relates to filing and mounting envelopes and similararticles for display and preservation, and while not confined thereto isadapted particularly for mounting first covers, or rare covers of thetype collected by philatelists, especially those' provided with flaps.

It is desirable that such envelopes or covers be filed flat and at thesame time be readily available for exhibition, and capable of frequentmanipulation without impairment of their condition. It is also desirablethat the surface of the envelopes, particularly the upper parts ofsurfaces on which the stamps and post marks, etc., are placed, be at alltimes exposed to view. The present invention providesa simple device forholding such material securely in position on each side of a sheet orcard. The sheets may be adapted to be placed in a loose-leaf binder,thus allowing the mounted envelopes to be bound in a book or album whichmay be easily handled so that the envelopes may be readily filed,displayed and inspected without injury or handling of the actualenvelopes themselves. Such a device may include a sheet provided withcords or the like for holding the displayed matter.

The device may be made in various sizes and may be used for manypurposes but for purposes of explaining the invention there isillustrated and described a sheet such as may be used for filing andmounting envelopes or covers.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a sheetshowing cords in position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the sheet ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of an optional form of sheet showingenvelopes in place. Fig. 4 is a'front elevation of Fig. 3 showingenvelopes in place. Fig. 5 is a transverse verticalsection on the line5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of another form of sheet.Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic section showing how fiaps may be applied toenvelopes or cards for filing purposes.

There may be provided a sheet [0 which may be made of cardboard or paperor any other suitable material. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, perforationsH to 20 are oppositely arranged in parallel spaced rows preferably nearthe edges of the sheet. Parallel rows of cords between the perforationsmay be provided in suitable manners. As illustrated a short distancefrom the perforation H is placed the looped end 2| of a card 22. Thecord22 is passed across the sheet I 0 and through the perforation I2 andback at 23 on the other side of the sheet and through the perforation IIand through the loop 2|. The cord is adjusted to required tension andthen passes back through the perforation II to the front of the sheet.The cord then passes downward at 24, and through the perforation I3,across the sheet ID at 25, and through the perforation l4 and back onthe other side of the sheet '5, the flap 52 of an envelope envelope 53has been passed under ill at 26, through the perforation l3 anddownwardly at 27. This method of lacing may be continued until the cordhas passed back and forth across both sides of the sheet through all theperforations, when the free end after passing ,at 61 from theperforation 20 to the perforation I9 is tied in a fastening knot 28 tothe downward cord 38. Thus there may be provided a series of parallelcords crossing the sheet at suitable intervals which may be somewhatless widely separated than the width of the specific envelopes, etc., tobe filed.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is illustrated another method of lacing the cords onthe sheet. Perforations 3| to- 42 are oppositely arranged in parallelspaced rows preferably near the edges of the sheet. A loop 43 on the endof a cord 45 is placed a short distance from the perforation 32 and thecord 45 is passed across the sheet l0 and through the perforation 3| andback at 44 on the other side of the sheet and through the perforation 32and through the loop 43. The cord is adjusted to the required tensionand passed back through the perforation 32 and down along 46 and throughthe perforation 34 and across the sheet Ill at 48, through theperforation 33 and across the sheet along 41. The cord then goes underthe downward cord 46 and down to the perforation 36 and continuing inlike manner to perforations 40 or 42 as .desired where the end of thecord is fastened in any suitable manner. If a pocket is used at thebottom of the sheet the cord 62-63 need not be used.

The perforations may be reinforced in any suitable Way if desired.

To facilitate lacing of the cord on the sheet slits 50 may be made fromthe perforations to the edge of the sheet so that the cord may be drawninto the perforations through the slits, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Across the bottom of the sheet H] on one or both sides a pocket 5| maybe attached inany suitable manner, such as by pasting at the edges orthe like.

Over any cord between oppositely disposed perforations such as 45 forinstance in Figs. 3 and 53 may be folded so that the cord 45 liesbetween the flap 52 and the envelope 53 to hold the envelope in place.To hold the bottom of the envelope 53 it may be passed under the nextlower cord 48 between the perforations 33 and 34 on the same side of thesheet l0. Over the cord 48 the flap 54 of the adjacent envelope 55 maybe folded so that the cord 48 lies between the flap 54 and the 55. Sincethe bottom of the envelope the cord 48 the top of and its flap enfoldingthe cord 48 overlaps the bottom of the envelope 53, and in like mannerthe bottom of the envelope 55 can be passed under the cord which passesbethe envelope 55 which passes tween the perforations 35 and 36, and thetop of the succeeding envelope with its flap and the cord between theperforations 35 and 36, will overlie the bottom of the envelope 55. Eachof the envelopes supported by the succeeding cords may in like manneroverlie the envelope supported by the cord next above until the bottomenvelope is put in place, when the bottom of the bottom envelope 65(Figs. 4 and 5) may be placed inside the pocket 5| when it is present,to hold all of the envelopes snugly together by pressure and to preventmovement of the envelopes away from the cords when the sheet is handledwhile the envelopes are in place. A snug, close, flat mounting for theenvelopes is thus obtained.

The pocket 5| is not essential; when it is omitted or the sheet is notfully used, the lowermost envelope in place on the sheet may be heldfrom flapping by the lowermost cord and for the purpose, when desired,the lowermost cord may be arranged as near the bottom of the sheet asdesired.

The sheet may be wide to allow a portion to be used as a binding strip,with or without a crease, or a separate binding strip 66 may be attachedas illustrated, in any suitable way, such as by the use of binder tape61, or other suitable material flexible enough to allow the sheet to bereadily turned. Binding holes 68 may be provided. Binding is notessential but separate sheets alone, with perforations near each edgemay be used.

The cord need not be tied to the sheet, but may be passed through theholes or slots at one edge of the sheet and back to the other edge ofthe sheet on both sides of the sheet, where the two ends may be fastenedby staples, clips, or other suitable means 69 passing through the sheetand the cord or tape on each side of the sheet, as illustrated in Fig.6. The ends 'II and 12 of the tape may extend beyond and be fastened tothe binding strip. As illustrated in Fig. 6 one means of attaching thebinding strip to the sheet is to pass the end II of the upper tape underthe binding strip 66 and fasten it to the under side of the strip. Theend 12 of the under tape is passed over the binding strip 66 andfastened to its upper side at a point just above the point where theupper end H is fastened.

Cords may be tied into loops through each pair of perforations. Orsheets with perforations at one edge only may be used when the cord willbe attached at the other edge as illustrated in Fig. 6 for instance.

The number of perforations may be increased to increase the number ofenvelopes to be mounted on each sheet, or fewer or a single cord may beused. The position of the perforations may be different, as where theymay be placed along the top and bottom of the sheet to hold longerenvelopes. In this form the pocket 51 may be placed preferably on theouter side of the sheet In instead of on the bottom as illustrated inFig. 1.

The usual envelope may have an integral flap as illustrated in Fig. 3but the invention may be adapted to envelopes in which the flap has beensealed or has not been preserved or to cards or other material notprovided with flaps. As shown material etc., is not essential an uppercord diagrammatically in Fig. '7, to the envelope 13 may be fastened aflap 14 similar to an envelope flap by any suitable means, such forinstance as pasting or clipping. These flaps, attached to the portion ofthe card or material not to be displayed, may be single flaps which mayextend throughout the lengths of the cards, etc., or one or morenarrower flaps may be fastened at intervals along their lengths. Theterms flaps and envelopes are used in the claims to embrace all sucharrangements.

It will be understood that the term cord is used to indicate anysuitable device which may be of cotton, etc., or a metallic wire or aflat tape if desired, and the cord may be flexible or rigid as desired,and to the extent desired.

The proportions and shape, etc., of the sheet, the number, spacing,etc., of the cords, and the to the present invention, which may beembodied in other forms.

I claim as my invention:

1. A sheet for filing envelopes provided with flaps, a plurality ofparallel cords on the sheet, being adapted to pass between an envelopeand its flap and the next lower cord adapted to pass over the edge ofthe envelope remote from the flap and also to pass between a secondoverlying envelope and its flap, anda pocket on the sheet for enclosingthe edge of the lowermost envelope remote from its flap.

2. A sheet for filing envelopes provided with flaps, a plurality ofparallel cords on the sheet, an upper cord being adapted to pass betweenan envelope and its flap and the next lower cord adapted to pass overthe edge of the envelope remote from the flap and also to pass between asecond overlying envelope and its flap.

3. A mounting for envelopes provided with flaps comprising a sheethaving pairs of opposite perforations thereon, one or more cords eachpassing through the pairs of perforations and adapted to pass under theenvelope flaps, and a pocket on the bottom of the sheet adapted toreceive the edge of an envelope remote from its 4. A mounting comprisinga sheet having perforations near each side margin of the sheet, cordlaced through the perforations, and a pocket at the bottom of the sheet.

5. A sheet for filing envelopes provided with flaps having perforationsat spaced intervals on one edge of the sheet, and a plurality of cordson the sheet each adapted to pass through one of the perforations and tobe fastened at the opposite edge of the sheet, and each cord adapted topass between an envelope and its flap and over an adjacent envelope.

6. A sheet for filing envelopes provided with flaps, a plurality ofparallel cords extending across the sheet and fastened near one edge ofthe sheet, the ends of the cords being fastened to a separate binderstrip.

'7. A sheet for filing envelopes provided with flaps having at spacedintervals on the sheet oppositely arranged perforations with slits fromthe perforations to the edge of the sheet through which a cord may bedrawn, and a cord passing through the perforations adapted to be placedbetween the envelopes and their flaps.

ARTHUR C. SHORT.

